Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-05-07

tremely careful how they grant TO any COM
psny or orindividual the monopoly of supply
ing natural gas TO the city of Springfield. II
Is now settled that Springfield is to have
natural gas If she does not lind il near al
hand. then il will be piped from a distance.
In either case the privilege of supplying il
70 this city will be- of enormous value, dis
counting a gold mine, ten 10 one. The
question of giving this monopoly must not
be rushed through council like proposition
10 put patent crossing over Hoop-pole
alley. We all remember how carefully the
question of water works was debated IN
council. and how much talking and looking
around was done by the members of coun-
Gil before the waterworks plans We're finally
adopted. The question of supplying
natural gas to the city is far more important
than that OF waterwOrks. Several cities Of
Ohio are now mourning in sack cloth and
ashes because they sold out the privilege Of
supplying them with natural gas TO the
Standard oil company. Toledo is one these
cities. Her citizens We're sleepy and not at
all awake TO the Importance of the natural
gas problem. 81 they sold out for song;
and the Northwestern Gas Co. is now rush
its pipes toward Toledo at the rate of 5000
feet per day. and will soon De deriving enor-
nous revenues from the sale of natural gas
10 Toledo houSeholderS.
Several other cities have done the same
thing. The Standard Oil Co, with its
millions at its back, has been recently
H.. of India rla t.nii. Nlifh n
a proposition 10 supply it with natural gas.
The councilmen of the HoOsier capital
swere too sharp to rush hastily considered
franchise through the council, and they de-
cided to postpone consideration of il until
n committee from the council had taken a
tour 10 visit the principal gas cities Of Ohio
and Indiana to see on what terms the gas
WAS supplied to the cities, the cost of pip
ing etc This is exactly what should be
done in this city. Council should appoint
. committee 10 visit the gas cities of Ohio
and Indiana to learn something about nat
ural gas. Our citizens have had 10 eX-
peIience with the new fuel. and the mem-
bers of council probably know very little
about il. Not u franchise should be given
until the city council has informed itself on
the natural gas question.
The only safe way would be for the city
to take the business in hand itself. Let
tile city bore walls or build pipe line and
then supply the gas at cost and Springfield
will have the biggest boom in Ohio. What
ever is done no monopoly in natural gas
must be granted for we may find il at
our very door in a short time. What has
given Findlay such an immense boom is the
fact that the city owns her own wells and
mains, Just a. in the case Of water works,
aud supplies citizens with gas al about cost
1t is a sober fact that the charge for all the
gas you can burn in your cooking stove
night and day if you desire il, is - cents
per month. At Bowling Green the charge
for the same is 81 per month, and at Fc>-
toria even higher. What is going 10 nal t
prosperity and boom is not gas alone. but
cheap gas. Let our citv council remember
this and handle This natural gas question
with sagacity and foresight ON this ques-
tion depends the douhliu. IN value of every
foot of property in the city limits Of Spring
field and the doubling of her population in
five years. Go slow. gentlemen. you have
the most important problem before you TO
figure out which WAS ever given into the
Keeping of Springfield city council.
The question a: petroleum fuel for
Springfield factories depends on one thing
the price. If the oil can he obtained
cheap enough coal will soon be thing of
the past in Springfield The present indi-
cations however. are for an advance in oil
from the present low rate OF from - TO
30 cents per barrel. When the advance
comes il will put the price AT which the
oil can be delivered IN Springfield beyond
the point where II would be profitable Ia
substitute il for coal. At 80 cents per bar
Eel, al which price a great deal of oil was
furnished 10 a Springfield concern for fuel.
II WAS found that saving of 20 per cent.
could be made over the use of coal. Shortly
after this the price of oil advanced Ia 50
cents per barrel, thus making il at least aS
expensive aS coal for fuel. \ good deal of
oil was used at the Champion mall-able
works for making malleable iron. and
though II was found Ia answer the purpose
very well its use was found Ia be no direct
saving in expense over coal. IL pipe line
should be- constructed from the oil regions
direct To central Ohio, so as Ia make the
cost of transportation nominal. there is lit
tie doubt that petroleum would come into
almost universal USE aS fuel. Mr.. Halstead
Is continually advocating petroleum. fuel in
the Commercial Gn-,ffG. lie claims that
il can be transported from the oil regions by
canal 10 Cinclnnati - a. Ia make the cost
Ol Ddritl Oh cruz" petroleum. delivered
In Cincinnati, onls 40 cents AT this rate,
the cost would be only half that of coal,
and Cincinnati would no doubt Use all that
could be procured al that price
The oil fuel is wonderfully convenient
and possesses great heat The engineer at
the Champion Electric Light works. which
are the pioneers in tbc u~e Of petroleum
fuel, says that he never ckI t + 10 20 back
In th,. nsts af coal With p,.frisum rn,. rirs
feeds itself. il can be- kindled al q moment's
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